2015 Ram 1500 Help

[kman07032010]

I have a 2015 1500 that is acting up.
1. About 1 out of 10 times the radio won’t come on right away takes 5 minutes
2. Compass /nav works once in a blue moon
3. Brake light out comes on but the brake lights are all working
4. Low battery light comes on . Battery gauge stays the same. After a day or so it goes out. I’m gonna dive into it more this weekend but wanted to see if anyone had seen these issues. Thanks

 

[tron67j]

Have you had your battery tested with a load test? Could be a bad one even though the bolts are fine. It the issues are diverse, are you original owner? If not, check up under the dash and elsewhere in the can for rust, electrical issues can be indicative of a flood vehicle. Lastly. Check and clean all grounding points and ensure fuses are all seated properly.

 

[kman07032010]

I am not the original owner. I plan on going through the fuses and check grounds. Is there a ground diagram located anywhere that you know of?

 

[RamDiver]

I am not the original owner. I plan on going through the fuses and check grounds. Is there a ground diagram located anywhere that you know of?

As mentioned, start with inspecting and/or cleaning up the battery connections, a battery load test, and test that the alternator is providing the correct charge voltage. With a high RPM (1300+) you should see about 14 to 14.5 VDC.

These are dirt cheap;



I would clear out those items before starting down the road of inspecting/cleaning/refurbishing ground connections because they can be much more time-consuming. Plus, without the correct power, your truck is dead in the water.

After the easy stuff is cleared, if you still have an issue, common ground points, it is.

.

 

[crash68]

3. Brake light out comes on but the brake lights are all working

Check the third brake light.
Also if your truck has the factory LED taillights, there's a fault wire that reports if there's a problem with the LEDs inside the housing even if it looks like they're working.

 

[kman07032010]

As mentioned, start with inspecting and/or cleaning up the battery connections, a battery load test, and test that the alternator is providing the correct charge voltage. With a high RPM (1300+) you should see about 14 to 14.5 VDC.

These are dirt cheap;

View attachment 541040

I would clear out those items before starting down the road of inspecting/cleaning/refurbishing ground connections because they can be much more time-consuming. Plus, without the correct power, your truck is dead in the water.

After the easy stuff is cleared, if you still have an issue, common ground points, it is.

.

I cleaned the battery cables and posts. Battery was reading 13.6 v running at 1500+ rpm

 

[RamDiver]

I cleaned the battery cables and posts. Battery was reading 13.6 v running at 1500+ rpm

That's quite low for the alternator voltage. You can have it tested at an auto parts store, many will perform the test for free.

You may as well have the battery load tested at the same time because a bad alternator can result in a toasted battery pretty fast.

Did you get a post/clamp cleaner like the picture I posted and clean both posts and clamps?

What is the battery voltage with the truck off?

.

 

[kman07032010]

That's quite low for the alternator voltage. You can have it tested at an auto parts store, many will perform the test for free.

You may as well have the battery load tested at the same time because a bad alternator can result in a toasted battery pretty fast.

Did you get a post/clamp cleaner like the picture I posted and clean both posts and clamps?

What is the battery voltage with the truck off?

.

Yes I got that cleaner. 12.06v

 

[RamDiver]

Yes I got that cleaner. 12.06v

Good stuff, I try to clean my battery posts & Clamps about every 6-8 months and coat both with a very thin film of dielectric grease.

It does sound like both your battery and alternator are pooched. Time to visit an auto parts store for a free test of both.

.

 

[Wild one]

Yes I got that cleaner. 12.06v

Your battery is toast at 12.06v,a good battery should read between 12.6 and 13.2 when the trucks off.
There's 6 cells in a 12v battery and each should read between 2.1 and 2.2 volts at rest/
Buy yourself one of these old school toaster testers and check your battery yourself.

100 Amp, 6/12V Battery Load Tester

Amazing deals on this 100 Amp 6/12V Battery Load Tester at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[BucketGruntJL]

I have a 2015 1500 that is acting up.
1. About 1 out of 10 times the radio won’t come on right away takes 5 minutes
2. Compass /nav works once in a blue moon

When you get the battery/alternator issue resolved, I would take a look at some threads regarding the first 2 issues. My 2015 factory 8.4nav radio was doing the same thing. I never used factory navigation however when I started researching my issues I came across info stating the Sierra Wireless Card embedded in the radio was going out. My navigation would put me 100s of miles away from my exact location, my compass was completely wrong, most start ups the screen would stay blank for several minutes (could still use hard buttons on climate control), I would also get a screen saying "vehicle phone requires service" and my resrview mirror would light a red light.
Bluetooth and XM radio, all normal radio and hvac operations would perform without problems, just the issues I mentioned above would give me grief.